Part 20 (1/2)

_Chan-chan!

Cha-cha!

Yoitomose, Yoitomose!_

Who cuts the bamboo at the back of the house?--

(Chorus) _Who cuts the bamboo?_--

My sweet lord's own bamboo, the first he planted,--

_The first be planted?_

--_Come! let us dance the Dance of the Honorable Garden!_--

_Chan-chan!

Cha-cha!

Yoitomose, Yoitomose!_

Oh! the cruelty, the cruelty of my mother-in-law!--

_Oh! the cruelty!_

Tells me to cut and make a hakama[100] out of rock!

If ever I cut and sew a hakama of rock, Then you will learn to twist the fine sand into thread,--

_Twist it into thread._

--_Come! let us dance the Dance of the Honorable Garden!_--

_Chan-chan!

Cha-cha!

Yoitomose, Yoitomose!

Chan-chan-chan!_

[100] A divided skirt of a peculiar form, worn formerly by men chiefly, to-day worn by female students also.

OTERA-ODORI (TEMPLE-DANCE)

(_Province of Iga, village called Uenomachi_)

Visiting the honorable temple, when I see the august gate, The august gate I find to be of silver, the panels of gold.

n.o.ble indeed is the gate of the honorable temple,-- _The honorable temple!_

Visiting the honorable temple, when I see the garden, I see young pinetrees flouris.h.i.+ng in the four directions: On the first little branch of one the _s.h.i.+jugara_[101] has made her nest,-- _Has made her nest_.

Visiting the honorable temple, when I see the water-tank, I see little flowers of many colors set all about it, Each one having a different color of its own,-- _A different color._